Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Happy Strawberry Moon, everyone!
As we ease into summer and the hydrangeas and garden roses begin blooming here in Toronto, I find myself struck by the awe and beauty that quietly surrounds us each day.
There's so much science behind how we experience the world. My guest on this moon's chapter of 3 Books has spent his career proving just that.
Join me in welcoming one of the world's leading experts on happiness and human potential, a Harvard-trained positive psychologist and researcher whose TED Talk has been watched over 30 million (!) times, and a genuinely warm human I am proud to call a friend ... Mr. Shawn Achor! (pronounced like "acorn" without the n, btw!)
I first met Shawn in Abu Dhabi, years ago, when we were both invited to speak to the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates.
I arrived a few days early, for dress rehearsals, long dinners, and meet-and-greets with various extended family members, and then Shawn showed up.
He flew in, crushed it onstage, dropped research studies like he'd memorized all of Google Scholar, and immediately flew out.
I was left thinking: Who was that masked man?
Well, over the years we became friends, and he was kind enough to blurb ‘The Happiness Equation’ after selling a million copies of his own wonderful book, ‘The Happiness Advantage’.
And then ... where did he go?
Shawn just sort of ... disappeared.
I found out why in his new book, ‘The Power of Beliefs’.
After his daughter Zoë was born three months early, spending 50 days in the NICU, Shawn decided to take a break—six years of no media, no international talks, no new books.
Six years!
But Shawn is still Shawn. An amiable son of an English teacher and a neuroscience professor, with multiple Harvard degrees, and a witty, research-centric writing style that is precise and uniquely compassionate.
Tune in as we discuss Shawn’s new book, his seven core beliefs (and their seven scars), the power of the placebo effect, what six years of "disappearing" taught him about parenting and living a more meaningful life, the psychology of awe, the cost of measuring your worth through comparison, and of course ... the brilliant Shawn Achor's 3 most formative books.
Let's flip the page to Chapter 162 now...
-
0:00:00 - Welcome to Chapter 162 of 3 Books
01:20 – Who is Shawn Achor?
03:34 – On Shawn’s new book, ‘The Power of Beliefs’
15:49 – Shawn’s seven core beliefs (and their seven scars)
25:49 – Book One: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
28:47 – On the importance of creating magic for kids
30:55 – Blending theology and psychology
37:22 – On comparing yourself to other people
42:04 – How do our beliefs change?
45:24 – Book Two: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
51:24 – How can we add more awe into our lives?
54:26 – Book Three: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
59:41 – Shawn’s closing thoughts on happiness
1:02:04 - Final Reflections
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
Happy Strawberry Moon, everyone!
As we ease into summer and the hydrangeas and garden roses begin blooming here in Toronto, I find myself struck by the awe and beauty that quietly surrounds us each day.
There's so much science behind how we experience the world. My guest on this moon's chapter of 3 Books has spent his career proving just that.
Join me in welcoming one of the world's leading experts on happiness and human potential, a Harvard-trained positive psychologist and researcher whose TED Talk has been watched over 30 million (!) times, and a genuinely warm human I am proud to call a friend ... Mr. Shawn Achor! (pronounced like "acorn" without the n, btw!)
I first met Shawn in Abu Dhabi, years ago, when we were both invited to speak to the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates.
I arrived a few days early, for dress rehearsals, long dinners, and meet-and-greets with various extended family members, and then Shawn showed up.
He flew in, crushed it onstage, dropped research studies like he'd memorized all of Google Scholar, and immediately flew out.
I was left thinking: Who was that masked man?
Well, over the years we became friends, and he was kind enough to blurb ‘The Happiness Equation’ after selling a million copies of his own wonderful book, ‘The Happiness Advantage’.
And then ... where did he go?
Shawn just sort of ... disappeared.
I found out why in his new book, ‘The Power of Beliefs’.
After his daughter Zoë was born three months early, spending 50 days in the NICU, Shawn decided to take a break—six years of no media, no international talks, no new books.
Six years!
But Shawn is still Shawn. An amiable son of an English teacher and a neuroscience professor, with multiple Harvard degrees, and a witty, research-centric writing style that is precise and uniquely compassionate.
Tune in as we discuss Shawn’s new book, his seven core beliefs (and their seven scars), the power of the placebo effect, what six years of "disappearing" taught him about parenting and living a more meaningful life, the psychology of awe, the cost of measuring your worth through comparison, and of course ... the brilliant Shawn Achor's 3 most formative books.
Let's flip the page to Chapter 162 now...
-
0:00:00 - Welcome to Chapter 162 of 3 Books
01:20 – Who is Shawn Achor?
03:34 – On Shawn’s new book, ‘The Power of Beliefs’
15:49 – Shawn’s seven core beliefs (and their seven scars)
25:49 – Book One: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
28:47 – On the importance of creating magic for kids
30:55 – Blending theology and psychology
37:22 – On comparing yourself to other people
42:04 – How do our beliefs change?
45:24 – Book Two: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
51:24 – How can we add more awe into our lives?
54:26 – Book Three: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
59:41 – Shawn’s closing thoughts on happiness
1:02:04 - Final Reflections
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want more 3 Books? Check out my top interviews with:
Brené Brown youtube.com/watch?v=X5l-Auv7h8Y
Quentin Tarantino youtube.com/watch?v=VVFdvfiPB-w
David Sedaris youtube.com/watch?v=wzz8tqnz1mI
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
